Questions
Just like the actual exam
Aligned with the National Board of Medical Examiners format. Authored & peer-reviewed by faculty, clinicians, and clerkship directors.
Each question is written to resemble the format and topics on the exam, meaning you won’t see any negatively phrased questions, no “all of the following except,” no “A and B”…you know what we mean. Most importantly, all questions include selective distractors (incorrect answer choices), which will help you think critically.
- Must address important content
- Must be well structured
Question
A 6-year-old girl, who had been camping in Vermont the week prior, is admitted from the ED after 5 days of fever, headache, and myalgias. On the day of admission, she developed a widespread maculopapular rash on her torso and extremities, including the palms and soles. Physical exam reveals an ill-appearing girl with intermittent confusion and hepatosplenomegaly. Laboratory findings include leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, hyponatremia, and elevated transaminases. Which one of the following tests is most likely to lead to the diagnosis at this time?
A ELISA for Lyme disease
B Heterophile antibody test
C IgG antibody titer for Rocky Mountain spotted fever
D PCR amplification of Ehrlichia chaffeensis
This patient has symptoms consistent with human monocytic ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne infection spread by Amblyomma americanum, or lone star ticks. The most commonly responsible organism, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, is a gram-negative, small, obligate intracellular bacterium. States with the highest incidence of human monocytic ehrlichiosis in recent years include New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Delaware, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Most cases are seen predominantly in May through September, largely because there are higher numbers of lone star ticks during this time. Symptoms typically present between 2 and 21 days after the tick bite, although approximately one-fourth of patients have no history of a known tick bite. Fever, headache, and myalgias are the most frequently reported symptoms. The majority of children develop a rash, and about one-half develop organomegaly and lymphadenopathy. Altered mental status may also be present, and other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain. Laboratory evaluation often reveals leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, hyponatremia, and elevated transaminases, as this patient has. During the acute phase of illness, PCR amplification of Ehrlichia chaffeensis is the most sensitive diagnostic method, as antibody titers are often negative. However, a comparison of acute and convalescent IgG antibody titers by indirect immunofluorescence assay may be diagnostic if there is a fourfold rise.
ELISA for Lyme disease (A), with a reflex western blot test, if positive, is useful to confirm the diagnosis in a patient whose clinical features are suggestive of Lyme disease. Also a tick-borne infection, Lyme disease often presents with erythema migrans rash or joint swelling in children. The heterophile antibody test (B) is useful for diagnosing infectious mononucleosis, particularly in the second week of illness. Infectious mononucleosis is most commonly caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. This patient’s symptoms are similar to those seen with Rocky Mountain spotted fever. However, its incidence in Vermont is low when compared to that of human monocytic ehrlichiosis. Additionally, an IgG antibody titer for Rocky Mountain spotted fever (C) is unlikely to be helpful in the acute phase of the illness. Similar to antibody titers for ehrlichiosis, a comparison between acute and convalescent titers is necessary for diagnosis.
Explanations
Written with a purpose
Understanding why an answer choice is incorrect is just as important as knowing why one is correct. That’s why every Rosh Review question includes detailed explanations for the correct and incorrect answer choices. These comprehensive summaries link the most important components of a topic—from risk factors to diagnostics and treatment—giving you the context to build relationships between them.
- Created for optimal learning and recall
- Help reinforce your knowledge
- Focus on the essential information
Illustrations
Created to enhance learning
Custom illustrations and tables help further clarify the core concepts. When information is presented visually, you can focus on meaning, easily reorganize and group similar ideas, and make better use of your memory.
Powerful Analytics
Track progress, performance, & predictions
Your personal analytics allow you to see your progress at all times, so you can create an efficient and effective learning strategy and stay on pace with your plan.
Focus your learning
Deep insights to determine your strengths and weaknesses so you can spend your time on the subjects that matter.
Compare with your peers
Discover how your answer choices align with those selected by learners across the country.
Find out your probability of passing
Using data generated by previous users, your Qbank gives a prediction of how likely you are to pass your exam.
One Step Further
Taking your learning to the next level
After each explanation is a straightforward question with a simple, memorizable answer that reinforces the corresponding topic.
- Strengthens your knowledge
- Stands alone from the main explanation so you’re not rereading content
Q: True or false: transmission of ehrlichiosis from a tick requires 1–2 days of tick attachment to a human.
Reveal AnswerA: False. Transmission may occur within hours.
Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
- Vector: ticks, avoid tick bites and remove ticks from body
- Febrile illness, headache, myalgia, rash, chills
- Labs show leukopenia or thrombocytopenia
- Test whole blood PCR, do not delay treatment
- Treatment: doxycycline
Rapid Review
Keeping things simple
These bulleted reviews focus on condensed, high-yield concepts about the main topic, from patient presentation to preferred management.
- Cover the fundamentals in one list
- Allow you to quickly scan the must-know information
I needed to score well on my shelf exam, so I looked for a resource with high-yield content. Rosh Review was it. I ended up scoring the highest shelf score for the rotation.
Monique Smith
Medical Student
FAQs
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Where can I find free shelf exam practice questions?
You can access free practice questions with a free trial for a Shelf Exam Qbank—no billing information required. The free trial includes practice questions that align with topics found on the shelf exam and include comprehensive answer explanations and beautiful teaching images.
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After practicing with these questions, if you decide you're ready for hundreds of additional questions to help you confidently prep for the shelf exam, you can easily upgrade to a full Qbank subscription.
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Whether you have a trial account or you purchased a subscription, access Rosh Review by logging in at app.roshreview.com.
To access the Qbank, go to the Create Exam tab to begin making and taking exams made up of questions from the Qbank.
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Once you've completed and submitted a few exams, you can see your statistics under the Performance Analysis tab.
To access the Qbank, go to the Create Exam tab to begin making and taking exams made up of questions from the Qbank.
You can find any boost exams under the My Exams → Boost Exam tab.
Once you've completed and submitted a few exams, you can see your statistics under the Performance Analysis tab. Who writes the questions and explanations for the medical student Qbanks?
The finest people around! Question writers are board-certified clinicians who have all performed well on their certification exams. Answer explanations are derived from the specialty’s authoritative resources with some personal input to simplify the material and synthesize it for greatest comprehension and recall.
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Absolutely! You can try out a number of sample questions in the actual app by creating a free account (no billing information required—we promise).
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